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Popular Culture and Popular Religion:Re-Reading History Through Memory in Thestory of Kannagi

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Popular Culture and Popular Religion:Re-Reading History Through Memory in Thestory of Kannagi Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 Popular Culture and Popular Religion:Re-Reading History through Memory in thestory of Kannagi Dr. Muhammed Maheen A. Professor. Department of History University of Calicut, Kerala Abstract:A vital part of the history of women in India is that, denied the authority of public presence, they nonetheless left their mark, sometimes faint but often strong, in the form of poetry. India is popular for its wide range of epic and mythological narratives which are numbered among the fine classics in contemporary society. The Indian epics are full of discourses on morality,etiquette and on sacredness. Most of the epics are replete with accounts of women who are revered for their virtue. A woman is considered to be a 'pativrata' or a chaste one when she surrenders herself to her family and husband irrespective of their treatment of her. In a way, women are looked on as the repository of family welfare and spirituality. The equal of Savitri and Sita, she is endowed with the beneficial feminine power of the Goddess which commands both respect and awe. Key words: Cilappatikaram , Darika , Kannaki, Kodungallur,Kovalan. 1. Introduction Mythology is an important feature of every culture. The main character in myths is usually Gods, Goddesses, Demigods or Supernatural humans. Myths are often endorsed by rulers and priests and closely linked to religion or spirituality and considered to be true accounts of their remote past. There are Plethora of books, contain the element of myth, ritual, folklore etc., are authored by celebrated writers like Thomas Bulfinch, David Dean Shulman, Henry White Head, Joseph Campbell, Friedhelm Hardy and the like. In their classical works, they exposed various aspects related to religious culture. The mythological role models present few options for women. They can be virtuous and suffer like Sita. Innumerable vrata legends narrate how a virtuous and uncomplaining sufferer finally triumphs; how can they be virtuous but assertive and aggressive, like the dangerous Goddesses, as in the story of Kannaki-Pattini in Cilappatikaram as the Goddess – women equation in Sakta Tantras in Hindu mythology. In the Sakta Tantras, the Goddess reclaims her supremacy by combining polymorphous traits in her characterization. In the Tantras, the Goddess combines the dynamic polarity of contrasting traits: benign and terrific, erotic and demure, motherly and virginal, saintly, and heroic, ferociously powerful yet calm and silent. 1 By the 6th century, Aryan influence had penetrated the whole of the Tamil land and her kings and chiefs worshipped and supported the Gods of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism. The indigenous style of poetry was rapidly altering under the influence of Sanskrit and Tamil poets took to writing long poems which they called by the Sanskrit name Kavya. The earliest and the greatest is the Jewelled Anklet 'Silappadikaram'. Though written for an educated audience and in faultless literary style it is near to the life of the people, it deals with the lives of two ordinary folks enmeshed in unhappy circumstances and it sounds a note of true tragedy. The work is authored by Ilango Adikal, a grandson of the great Cola king Karikalan, who lived in the 1st or 2nd Century A.D. He successfully drew together all the themes of earlier Tamil poets and welded them into a whole, in the framework of the story of the luckless Kovalan and Kannaki; often unparalleled elsewhere in Indian literature. It is imbued with both the ferocity of the early Tamils and their stern respect for justice and incidentally, it throws much light on early Tamil political ideas. 2 Volume X Issue IV APRIL 2021 Page No : 69 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 II. The Kannaki Legend The Kannaki legend of Cilappathikaram is deep-rooted in the folklore of Kerala. The geographical, historical and linguistic features of the legend helped its spread throughout Kerala. The folkloristic tradition emphasizes the relation of Bhadrakali to Kannaki in Tottam Paattukal in general and particularly ritualistic dances, religious ceremonies, ancient art forms, traditional performances etc., mainly centred on the Dravidian cult. 3 Malayalam literature is a harmonious blending of Dravidian and Aryan elements. The oldest compositions may be traced to Dravidian sources. Among the Pazhaya Pattukal, the earliest type of literature in Malayalam, Thottam Pattu (Religious ballads) which is called Bhadrakali Pattu is of sizable collection among the other group of songs. Thottam Paattu originated with the Kannaki legend and flourished under the influence of the Kali cult in Kerala. The Kannaki legend in Cilappathikaram is seen abundantly in folk songs of Kerala. Thottam Paattukal, a vast and rich branch of folk songs deal with the life and activities of Kannaki and Kovalam. 'The first part deals with the killing of Darika, an asura and the second part deals with the grief of Kannaki and how Kannaki took the form of Bhadrakali. 4 III. Darikavadham The killing of Darika, a tale that appears in both oral and written versions throughout Kerala and forms the basis of the performance rituals dedicated to Bhagavathi, a powerful independent Mother Goddess. A brief version of the story is that the demon Darika, after intense ascetic practice, secured a boon from the god Brahma that he would be invincible and could not be killed by any man. Moreover, a drop of his blood falling on the ground would immediately generate thousands more for himself. Thus empowered, Darika began to harass the world and commit numerous depredations. Finally, Goddess Bhadrakali was created to kill the demon. In the fierce battle that followed kali beheaded Darika. 5 The variegated physical and social landscape of Kerala was characterised not only by rich cultural diversity and cooperation but also by conflict. The mythic battle between the demonic king Darika and the warrior Goddess Bhadrakali has thus be seen by many as an allegory of the historical conflict between real political rivals. In the Kerala context, it is noteworthy that Bhadrakali is closely associated with the persona of the 'Yakshi', a vampiric succubus, drinking the blood of her victims while seducing them. The motif drinking blood is a symbolic displacement of the intaking of semen by the Vagina, a symbol of fertilisation and life. Thus the worship of the Bhagavati cult, an embodiment of fertility is also a rare specimen of the popular culture of Kerala. 6 The themes of aggression and bloodthirstiness made kali predominant 7 throughout the medieval period and were considered to be a tutelary to local kingdoms and tarawads. Sometimes kali took the form of Bhagavati, Sakthiswarupini, Mahisasuramardini etc. to save the land and people from evils. 8 IV. Kannaki took the form of Bhadrakali Kannagi is the heroine of the ancient Tamil epic Silapadhikaram . (Tale of the Anklet) Her husband, Kovalan, of Poompuhar, deserts her, seeking the love of a courtesan, Madhavi. He later returns to Kannagi, who forgives him. She gave him her anklet, to sell to raise money and they migrated to Madurai city. He is implicated falsely and executed for stealing the Pandya queen's anklet (filled with pearls) that resembled Kannagi's (filled with rubies). An enraged Kannagi challenges the Pandya king with the evidence to prove his innocence, tears off her breast in rage and flings it on the city of Madurai which then goes up in flames. The ruler dies on realizing the mistake. She rails against the Gods for their injustice and in her fury, Madurai's is devoured by fire, as stated earlier. However, at the request of Goddess Meenakshi, she calmed down and later attained salvation and becomes a Goddess, worshipped by hill people. Silapadikaram tells the story of her revenge and is written by Ilango Adikal. 9 The impact of the story of Kannagi is that it revived the matriarchal worship that prevailed before the advent of the Aryans and Muslims. The practice of honouring and even worshipping Volume X Issue IV APRIL 2021 Page No : 70 Science, Technology and Development ISSN : 0950-0707 women who committed Sati appears to have been very old in Southern India. Kannagi, the heroine of the Tamil poem Silappadikaram, died on hearing of the unjust death inflicted upon her husband by the Pandya king of Madurai. She was henceforth worshipped in shrines built for her throughout Southern India and Ceylon. In the latter Island and many parts of South India especially Tamilnadu, she is known as Pattini and is very popular. 10 The general belief about pattini-k-kal is that it intended to keep alive the memories of the chaste ladies, or women who were killed by injudicious acts. Hence they worshipped such ancestors to save the village from their wrath. Tradition connects Kodungallur Sri Kurumba Bhagavati temple to the temple consecrated by Cera king Senguttuvan to commemorate Kannaki, the heroine of the Tamil epic Cilappathikaram. A large number of devotees consider Kannaki as an incarnation of Kali, especially when Madurai was burning 11 and connected with the Pattini cult. In Kodungallur, the devotees view the Goddess as Orramulacci. The possibilities of the Bhagavati temple as the ancient centre of the Pattini cult was based on the reason,that the foundation of this temple was laid in a strong non-Brahmanic tradition. Meena Bharani is a festival conducted at Kondungalloor devotees especially from the lower strata of the Hindu community proceed to Kodungalloor singing songs praising Bhadrakali on their pilgrimage to the Bhagavati temple. Similarly, there are songs related to Kannaki and Kovalan are also sung. The festival and the songs enrich the traditional belief that the Goddess Kannaki is installed at the Kodungallur temple. The non-Aryan influence in the Kodungallur temple is visible in the Kavutheendal ceremony.
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